US20080112059A1 - Optical lens and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents
Optical lens and method of manufacturing the same Download PDFInfo
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- US20080112059A1 US20080112059A1 US11/723,875 US72387507A US2008112059A1 US 20080112059 A1 US20080112059 A1 US 20080112059A1 US 72387507 A US72387507 A US 72387507A US 2008112059 A1 US2008112059 A1 US 2008112059A1
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- light
- lens surface
- transmitting
- elastic film
- optical lens
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
- G02B3/12—Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses
- G02B3/14—Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses of variable focal length
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B1/00—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements
- G02B1/06—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements made of fluids in transparent cells
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
- G02B3/0006—Arrays
- G02B3/0037—Arrays characterized by the distribution or form of lenses
- G02B3/005—Arrays characterized by the distribution or form of lenses arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B7/00—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
- G02B7/02—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses
- G02B7/021—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses for more than one lens
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B7/00—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
- G02B7/02—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses
- G02B7/026—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses using retaining rings or springs
Definitions
- Apparatuses and manufacturing methods consistent with the present invention relate to an optical lens, and more particularly, to a variable focus optical lens that provides miniaturization and thin size, and reduces the cost and improves productivity by simplifying the structure and manufacturing process.
- an optical lens is a transparent body or lens having at least two refractive curves.
- the optical lens is widely used in various applications, such as cameras, telescopes, and microscopes.
- a camera module using an optical lens is used for a personal mobile terminal, such as a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA), as well as a camera set.
- a personal mobile terminal such as a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA), as well as a camera set.
- the personal mobile terminal has been developed as a multipurpose electronic device having various multimedia functions, such as a camera, a game, a music player, broadcasting, and connecting with the Internet, in addition to a simple audio transceiver function. Also, attempts to integrate more functions in a small area have been made for the personal mobile terminal.
- the camera module has recently developed auto focusing, auto zooming, and an auto macro function to obtain better images.
- the camera module is limited in its size, due to the size of a lens and a mechanical lens driving gear.
- a lens for each type is required, such as a proximity lens, a standard lens, a telephoto lens, and a zoom lens, and the lens should be exchanged with another lens, depending on the intended use.
- the focal distance of the lens should be varied. Since a separate motor or driver is required to control such variations, a problem occurs in that the whole size of the camera module increases.
- a liquid lens (or fluid lens) based on electrowetting has been suggested.
- the liquid lens achieves auto focusing and auto zooming by using its curvature variation.
- a voltage is externally applied to an electrode coated with an insulator and a conductive fluid to eliminate surface tension of the conductive fluid when the conductive fluid and a nonconductive fluid are in contact with each other on the electrode, whereby a contact angle of the conductive fluid and a shape of a boundary between the two fluids are varied.
- the liquid lens based on electrowetting has an advantage in that a small sized camera module can be obtained as no mechanical lens motion is needed.
- the related art liquid lens has several problems. As the liquid lens is manufactured for each chip by separate process steps, the number of manufacturing process steps increase, thus the manufacturing cost increases and productivity is reduced. Also, a problem occurs in that a high driving voltage is required to create the flow of fluid and to apply a hydraulic pressure to the fluid. Furthermore, a problem occurs in that the response time required for focusing increases.
- Exemplary embodiments of the present invention overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.
- An aspect of the present invention provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the optical lens can be manufactured with miniaturization and thin size, and its structure and manufacturing process steps are simplified to reduce the cost and improve productivity.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the optical lens can be manufactured in a wafer-level process to facilitate mass production and reduce the manufacturing cost.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which low power consumption is required to obtain optimized efficiency when a flow occurs in a fluid or a hydraulic pressure is applied to a fluid.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the response time required for focusing can be reduced.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a fluid can uniformly be dispensed when a hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid, whereby reliability and stability can be prevented from being decreased.
- an optical lens comprising a light-transmitting substrate which comprises a lens chamber and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lens chamber and the fluidic chamber are connected with each other; a light-transmitting elastic film which seals the lens chamber; a buffer elastic film which seals the fluidic chamber; and an actuator on the buffer elastic film which corresponds to the fluidic chamber, and varies a volume of the fluidic chamber to vary a pressure acting on the light-transmitting elastic film.
- the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be connected with each other to form a single body. Alternatively, the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be detached from each other.
- the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be formed of the same material or different materials.
- an optical lens comprising a light-transmitting substrate which comprises a lower lens surface and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lower lens surface and the fluidic chamber are spaced apart from each other and are connected with each other; a light-transmitting elastic film on the light-transmitting substrate which seals the lower lens surface and the fluidic chamber, and forms a variable upper lens surface above the lower lens surface; and an actuator on the light-transmitting elastic film which corresponds to the fluidic chamber and is strained if a power source is applied thereto, which varies a volume of the fluidic chamber.
- the light-transmitting substrate may be formed of various sizes and materials, and may be made from a circular wafer.
- a channel may be formed entirely between the fluidic chamber and the lower lens surface.
- a plurality of channels may be formed at predetermined intervals.
- a single fluidic chamber may be formed only for the lower lens surface.
- a plurality of fluidic chambers may be formed for the lower lens surface, wherein the fluidic chambers are connected with one another.
- the light-transmitting substrate further includes an optical lens surface arranged on a channel of light that passes through the lower lens surface.
- the optical lens surface may have a spherical or a non-spherical structure.
- the light-transmitting elastic film may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate, or a material having different properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate (for example, refractive index and transmissivity).
- the efficiency of the actuator which is curve-strained depends on the binding conditions of the actuator. Accordingly, the light-transmitting elastic film is preferably formed of a material having an elastic modulus lower than that of the actuator, to minimize binding of the actuator and maximize efficiency of the actuator.
- the light-transmitting elastic film may be formed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility.
- the light-transmitting elastic film may be formed of elastomer. Either a functional coating layer, such as an antireflective coating layer and an anti-infrared coating layer, or a protective layer, may be formed on the surface of the light-transmitting elastic film.
- the lower lens surface and the upper lens surface of the light-transmitting substrate and the light-transmitting elastic film may have a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the lower lens surface and the upper lens surface may have a non-spherical structure.
- a polymer actuator formed of an electro active polymer (EAP), which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the actuator.
- EAP electro active polymer
- the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC).
- an optical lens comprising a light-transmitting substrate which comprises a lower lens surface and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lower lens surface and the fluidic chamber are spaced apart from each other; a cover substrate with a lens hole which is formed to correspond to the lower lens surface and which is provided on the light-transmitting substrate to cover an upper portion of the fluidic chamber; a light-transmitting elastic film on the cover substrate which seals the lens hole and forms an upper lens surface above the lower lens surface; and an actuator on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate which covers a lower portion of the fluidic chamber, and which is strained if a power source is applied thereto, which varies a volume of the fluidic chamber, wherein a channel is formed of at least one of opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate and the cover substrate, and the channel connects the lower lens surface with the fluidic chamber.
- the light-transmitting substrate may be formed of various sizes and materials, and may be made from a circular wafer.
- the cover substrate may be formed of the same material as that of the light-transmitting substrate, or may be formed of a material having different properties (for example, refractive index and transmissivity) from that of the light-transmitting substrate. Since the cover substrate is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmitting substrate, the cover substrate may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance.
- Bonding between the cover substrate and the light-transmitting substrate may be performed by a typical bonding method.
- the cover substrate and the light-transmitting substrate may be bonded to each other by direct bonding or anodic bonding.
- the cover substrate and the light-transmitting substrate may be bonded to each other by a typical adhesive.
- a channel may be formed only on the light-transmitting substrate or the cover substrate.
- channels may respectively be formed at opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate and the cover substrate to cooperate with each other.
- a buffer elastic film may be provided on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate, and the actuator may be provided on the buffer elastic film.
- the buffer elastic film may be formed of the same or a different material from the light-transmitting elastic film. Since the buffer elastic film is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmitting elastic film, the buffer elastic film may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance. Preferably, the buffer elastic film may be formed of a material having an elastic modulus equivalent to that of the light-transmitting elastic film to improve the efficiency of the actuator.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIGS. 2 and 3 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 illustrate a polymer actuator of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIGS. 8A and 8B are sectional views illustrating the operation state of an actuator and a light-transmitting elastic film in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a design condition of a lens portion and an actuator in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 11 to FIG. 19 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 21 and 22 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 23 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 24 to FIG. 32 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 33 to FIG. 35 are sectional views illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 2 and 3 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- An optical lens according to the present invention includes a light-transmitting substrate provided with a lens chamber and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lens chamber and the fluidic chamber are connected with each other, a light-transmitting elastic film sealing the lens chamber, a buffer elastic film sealing the fluidic chamber, and an actuator provided on the buffer elastic film to correspond to the fluidic chamber, varying the volume of the fluidic chamber to vary a pressure acting on the light-transmitting elastic film.
- the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be connected with each other to form a single body, or may be provided independently from each other. Also, the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be formed of the same material or different materials.
- an optical lens 100 includes a light-transmitting substrate 110 , a light-transmitting elastic film 120 , and an actuator 130 .
- the light-transmitting substrate 10 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent light-transmitting material.
- the light-transmitting substrate 110 may be formed of a transparent glass or silicon.
- the light-transmitting substrate 110 may be made from a circular wafer of a light-transmitting material, wherein the circular wafer has various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches.
- a fluidic chamber 114 having a predetermined depth and a lower lens surface 112 are formed to be exposed on the light-transmitting substrate 110 , wherein the lower lens surface 112 is spaced apart from the fluidic chamber 114 at a predetermined distance.
- the fluidic chamber 114 and the lower lens surface 112 are connected with each other.
- a channel 116 is formed between the fluidic chamber 114 and the lower lens surface 112 .
- the channel 116 is also exposed to the top surface of the light-transmitting substrate 110 .
- the fluidic chamber 114 , the lower lens surface 112 , and the channel 116 can be formed by etching or a mechanical process.
- the channel 116 may be formed entirely between the fluidic chamber 114 and the lower lens surface 112 .
- a plurality of channels 116 may be formed at predetermined intervals.
- the channel may be formed inside the light-transmitting substrate.
- a single fluidic chamber 114 may be formed only for the lower lens surface 112 .
- a plurality of fluidic chambers may be formed for the lower lens surface 112 , wherein the fluidic chambers are connected with one another.
- the number and arrangement structure of the fluidic chambers 114 may depend on required conditions and design options.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent elastic material, and is provided on the light-transmitting substrate 110 to seal the lower lens surface 112 and the fluidic chamber 114 .
- An upper lens surface 122 is formed above the lower lens surface 112 .
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate 110 , or different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 110 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity).
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be formed of PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be formed of elastomer.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is bonded to the top surface of the light-transmitting substrate 110 in a single body by a typical adhesive or a bonding method, whereby the lower lens surface 112 , the fluidic chamber 114 , and the channel 116 are sealed, and a part of the light-transmitting elastic film 120 forms the upper lens surface 122 above the lower lens surface 112 .
- a functional coating layer such as an antireflective coating layer and an anti-infrared coating layer, or a protective layer may be formed on the surface of the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- the lower lens surface 112 and the upper lens surface 122 may have a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the lower lens surface 112 and the upper lens surface 122 may have a non-spherical structure.
- an optical fluid 10 such as water or oil may be injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- an injection hole for injecting the optical fluid 10 may be formed at one side of the light-transmitting substrate 110 . After the optical fluid 10 is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed.
- the actuator 130 is provided on the light-transmitting elastic film 120 to correspond to the fluidic chamber 114 , so that the pressure selectively acting on the upper lens surface 122 may be varied.
- the actuator 130 is strained to be curved up or down, and thus varies the volume of the fluidic chamber 114 .
- the volume of the fluidic chamber 114 is varied by such strain of the actuator 130
- the volume of the lens chamber defined as the space between the upper lens surface 122 and the lower lens surface 112 , and connected with the fluidic chamber 114 , is also varied.
- the pressure acting on the upper lens surface 122 is varied and strain is caused, whereby a focal distance by the upper lens surface 122 and the lower lens surface 112 may be varied.
- Various related art actuators may be used as the actuator 130 .
- a polymer actuator made of an EAP, which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the actuator 130 .
- the EAP is a material that becomes strained when a voltage is applied thereto, similar to piezoelectric material.
- the EAP differs from the piezoelectric material in that strain size of the EAP is considerably greater than that of the piezoelectric material.
- the EAP can be categorized into an EAP actuated by an electric field, an EAP actuated by static electricity, and an EAP actuated by ions.
- FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 illustrate a polymer actuator in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- a polymer actuator 130 a includes an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer).
- P(VDF-TrFE) interpolymer
- electrostrictive strain similar to a piezoelectric effect is caused, whereby the polymer actuator 130 a is strained to be curved up or down.
- the polymer actuator 130 b may include a dielectric elastomer, such as acrylate or silicon.
- the power source is applied to electrodes provided at both sides of a dielectric elastomer layer 131 b so that a potential difference may be applied to both electrodes, whereby the dielectric elastomer layer 131 b may be strained to be curved up or down by a Maxwell force between the dielectric elastomer layer 131 b and each electrode.
- the polymer actuator 130 c may include an ionic polymer such as IPMC.
- IPMC ionic polymer
- the ion polymer layer 131 c may be strained to be curved up or down by electro-osmosis, in which a positive ion inside the ion polymer layer 131 c moves to a cathode.
- FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the operation state of the actuator in the optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 formed of an elastic polymer such as PDMS has an elastic modulus lower than that of the polymer actuator 130 formed of an active polymer in the range of one several hundredth, the light-transmitting elastic film 120 does not bind the polymer actuator 130 when the polymer actuator 130 is curved, whereby the efficiency of the polymer actuator 130 can be maximized.
- a bonded portion of the actuator 130 is bound in the light-transmitting substrate 110 , whereby a strain 61 of the actuator 130 does not occur efficiently.
- FIG. 8B if the actuator 130 is mounted on the light-transmitting substrate 110 through the light-transmitting elastic film 120 , a bonded portion of the actuator 130 is also strained when the actuator 130 is curve-strained, and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 does not bind the bonded portion of the actuator 130 , whereby a strain 62 of the actuator 130 can be maximized.
- the power consumption can be minimized, and the strain and response speed of the actuator 130 can be maximized under the same power.
- FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a design condition of a lens portion and an actuator in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- a shape of the light-transmitting elastic film 120 varied by variation of the hydraulic pressure (or flow) can be approximated based on Equation 1 below.
- Equation 1 W(r) is displacement in a direction ‘z’, W O is maximum displacement in the center, and a is a radius of the lens.
- n 1 and n 2 are refractive indices of the optical fluid and the light-transmitting substrate 110 , respectively, and R 1 and R 2 are curvature radiuses of the upper lens surface 122 and the lower lens surface 112 , respectively.
- the first term of the right side of Equation 2 represents a dioptric power that is varied when R 1 is varied
- the second term of the right side of Equation 2 represents a dioptric power that is fixed by the lower lens surface 112 .
- the polymer actuator 130 since the polymer actuator 130 includes an upper inactive area with a thickness ti and a lower active area with a thickness ta, expansion or contraction occurs in a direction vertical to an electrode when a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 130 . Also, strain occurs in a direction parallel with the electrode due to Poisson effect. Thus, curve strain is caused to the whole structure of the actuator 130 .
- the height of the upper inactive area should be equal to that of the lower active area to obtain maximum strain. The light-transmitting elastic film 120 is efficiently used to increase the strain of the actuator 130 .
- the efficiency of the actuator 130 which is curve-strained depends on the binding conditions of the actuator 130 . Since the elastic modulus of the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is lower than that of the polymer used as the actuator 130 in the range of one several hundredth, the light-transmitting elastic film 120 does not bind the actuator 130 when the actuator 130 is curve-strained, whereby a high efficiency of the actuator 130 is obtained.
- a dioptric power of 50 D. (diopter) calculated through Equation 2 this corresponds to a driving volume of 25 nano liter
- FIG. 11 to FIG. 19 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- the optical lens according to the present invention can be manufactured in a wafer-level process which includes providing a light-transmitting substrate 110 with a lower lens surface 112 and a fluidic chamber 114 , the lower lens surface 112 and the fluidic chamber 114 being spaced apart from each other and connected with each other; providing a light-transmitting elastic film 120 on the light-transmitting substrate 110 to seal the lower lens surface 112 and the fluidic chamber 114 and form an upper lens surface 122 above the lower lens surface 112 ; providing an actuator 130 on the light-transmitting elastic film 120 to correspond to the fluidic chamber 114 , the actuator 130 being strained if a power source is applied thereto; and dicing the light-transmitting substrate 110 to provide individual modules corresponding to the upper lens surface 122 , the lower lens surface 112 , and the fluidic chamber 114 .
- the light-transmitting substrate 110 formed of a transparent or semitransparent light-transmitting material is prepared.
- the light-transmitting substrate 110 is a related art transparent glass, and may have various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches.
- the fluidic chamber 114 having a predetermined depth and the lower lens surface 112 are formed to be exposed on the light-transmitting substrate 110 , wherein the lower lens surface 112 is spaced apart from the fluidic chamber 114 at a predetermined distance.
- the fluidic chamber 114 and the lower lens surface 112 are connected with each other.
- the fluidic chamber 114 and the lower lens surface 112 may be connected with each other by forming a channel 116 , which connects the lower lens surface 112 with the fluidic chamber 114 , on the light-transmitting substrate 110 to be externally exposed.
- the fluidic chamber 114 , the lower lens surface 112 , and the channel 116 may be formed by etching or a mechanical process.
- the channel 116 may be formed entirely between the fluidic chamber 114 and the lower lens surface 112 .
- a plurality of channels 116 may be formed at predetermined intervals.
- a single fluidic chamber 114 may be formed only for the lower lens surface 112 .
- a plurality of fluidic chambers may be formed for the lower lens surface 112 , wherein the fluidic chambers are connected with one another.
- the lower lens surface 112 and the fluidic chamber 114 are sealed on the light-transmitting substrate 110 , and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is provided to form the upper lens surface 122 above the lower lens surface 112 .
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be directly formed on the light-transmitting substrate 110 , the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 110 through a release sheet 141 .
- the providing the light-transmitting elastic film 120 includes forming the light-transmitting elastic film 120 on the release sheet 141 , bonding the light-transmitting elastic film 120 formed on the release sheet 141 to the light-transmitting substrate 110 , and detaching the release sheet 141 from the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- a hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the release sheet 141 .
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be formed in such a manner that a transparent or semitransparent elastic material is formed on the release sheet 141 in a thin film type by coating or spin coating.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate 110 , or different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 110 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity).
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be formed of an elastomer such as PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is bonded to the top surface of the light-transmitting substrate 110 so that the release sheet 141 is bonded thereto.
- the release sheet 141 is then detached from the light-transmitting elastic film 120 , so that the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may be provided on the light-transmitting substrate 110 .
- Adhesion between the release sheet 141 and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may have one-time use adhesion, so that the release sheet 141 may selectively be detached from the light-transmitting elastic film 120 . Also, adhesion between the light-transmitting elastic film 120 and the light-transmitting substrate 110 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between the release sheet 141 and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- a Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the release sheet 141 before the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is formed on the release sheet 141 , to facilitate detachment between the release sheet 141 and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- surface treatment such as oxygen (O 2 ) plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the light-transmitting elastic film 120 and the light-transmitting substrate 110 before the light-transmitting elastic film 120 is bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 110 .
- the lower lens surface 112 and the upper lens surface 122 may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, the lower lens surface 112 and the upper lens surface 122 may be formed with a non-spherical structure.
- the actuator 130 is provided on the light-transmitting elastic film 120 to correspond to the fluidic chamber 114 , wherein the actuator 130 is varied as the power source is applied thereto.
- Various related art actuators may be used as the actuator 130 .
- a typical polymer actuator made of an EAP which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the actuator 130 .
- the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as IPMC, described above with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 .
- the polymer actuator 130 may directly be formed on the light-transmitting elastic film 120 . Conversely, the polymer actuator 130 may be bonded to the light-transmitting elastic film 120 through a release sheet 142 .
- the providing of the actuator 130 includes forming the actuator 130 on the release sheet 142 , bonding the actuator 130 formed on the release sheet 142 to the light-transmitting elastic film 120 , and detaching the release sheet 142 from the actuator 130 .
- a hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the release sheet 142 .
- the polymer actuator 130 may be formed in such a manner that a polymer and/or electrodes are sequentially deposited on the release sheet.
- the polymer actuator 130 is bonded onto the light-transmitting elastic film 120 so that the release sheet 142 is bonded thereto.
- the release sheet 142 is then detached from the actuator 130 , so that the polymer actuator 130 may be provided on the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- Adhesion between the release sheet 142 and the actuator 130 may have one-time use adhesion, so that the release sheet 142 may selectively be detached from the actuator 130 . Also, adhesion between the actuator 130 and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between the release sheet 142 and the actuator 130 .
- a Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the release sheet 142 before the actuator 130 is formed on the release sheet 142 , to facilitate detachment between the release sheet 142 and the actuator 130 .
- surface treatment such as O 2 plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the actuator 130 and the light-transmitting elastic film 120 before the actuator 130 is bonded to the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- an optical fluid 10 such as water or oil is injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- the optical fluid 10 may be injected through an injection hole formed at one side of the light-transmitting substrate 110 . After the optical fluid is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed.
- the optical fluid is injected after the actuator 130 is bonded to the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- the optical fluid may be injected before the actuator 130 is bonded to the light-transmitting elastic film 120 .
- the light-transmitting substrate 110 is diced for each module.
- the dicing the light-transmitting substrate 110 may be performed by a general dicing device.
- the light-transmitting substrate 110 may be divided into individual modules corresponding to the upper lens surface 122 , the lower lens surface 112 , and the fluidic chamber 114 .
- an optical lens surface may be formed on a bottom of the aforementioned light-transmitting substrate 110 or inside the light-transmitting substrate 110 to correspond to the lower lens surface 112 , so that the optical lens surface may be arranged on a channel of light which passes through the lower lens surface 112 .
- the optical lens surface may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the optical lens surface may be formed with a non-spherical structure.
- the optical lens surface may be formed when the light-transmitting substrate 110 is provided.
- the optical lens surface may be formed after various parts constituting the optical lens are formed.
- FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 21 and 22 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 23 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- an optical lens 200 includes a light-transmitting substrate 210 , a cover substrate 250 , a light-transmitting elastic film 220 , and an actuator 230 .
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent light-transmitting material.
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be formed of a transparent glass or silicon.
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be made from a circular wafer of a light-transmitting material, wherein the circular wafer has various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches.
- a fluidic chamber 214 having a predetermined depth and a lower lens surface 212 are formed to be exposed on the light-transmitting substrate 210 , wherein the lower lens surface 212 is spaced apart from the fluidic chamber 214 at a predetermined distance.
- the fluidic chamber 214 and the lower lens surface 212 may be formed by etching or a mechanical process.
- the cover substrate 250 is tightly bonded to the top surface of the light-transmitting substrate 210 to cover an opening on the fluidic chamber 214 .
- the cover substrate 250 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 , or may be formed of a material having different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). Since the cover substrate 250 is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmitting substrate 210 provided with the lower lens surface 212 , the cover substrate 250 may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance.
- the cover substrate 250 may be formed of a polymer molding material, such as silicon or glass.
- the cover substrate 250 is provided with a lens hole 254 which passes through the cover substrate 250 in a thickness direction, to be arranged on the same optical axis as that of the lower lens surface 212 to correspond to the lower lens surface 212 .
- the lens hole 254 may be formed by etching or a mechanical process.
- bonding between the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be performed by a typical bonding method.
- the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be bonded to each other by direct bonding without a separate adhesive.
- the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 are respectively formed of silicon and glass, the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be bonded to each other by anodic bonding without a separate adhesive.
- the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be bonded to each other by a typical adhesive.
- a channel 252 is formed at one side of opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 , wherein the channel 252 serves to connect the lower lens surface 212 with the fluidic chamber 214 .
- the channel 252 may be formed only on the light-transmitting substrate 210 or the cover substrate 250 .
- the channels may respectively be formed at the opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 so as to cooperate with each other.
- an example of the channel 252 having a predetermined depth will be described, wherein the channel 252 is formed to be exposed to a bottom on the cover substrate 250 only opposite to the light-transmitting substrate 210 .
- the channel 252 may be formed entirely between the fluidic chamber 214 and the lower lens surface 212 . Alternatively, a plurality of channels 252 may be formed at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, a single fluidic chamber 214 may be formed only for the lower lens surface 212 . Conversely, a plurality of fluidic chambers 214 may be formed for the lower lens surface 212 , wherein the fluidic chambers 214 are connected with one another. The number and arrangement structure of the fluidic chambers 214 may depend on required conditions and design options.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent elastic material, and is provided on the cover substrate 250 to seal the lens hole 254 , whereby an upper lens surface 222 is formed above the lower lens surface 212 .
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 , or different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity).
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be formed of elastomer, such as PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be bonded to the top surface of the cover substrate 250 in a single body by a typical adhesive or a bonding method, whereby the lens hole 254 is sealed, and a part of the light-transmitting elastic film 220 forms the upper lens surface 222 above the lower lens surface 212 .
- a functional coating layer such as an antireflective coating layer and an anti-infrared coating layer, or a protective layer may be formed on the surface of the light-transmitting elastic film 220 .
- the lower lens surface 212 and the upper lens surface 222 may have a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the lower lens surface 212 and the upper lens surface 222 may have a non-spherical structure.
- the actuator 230 is provided on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 210 to cover a lower opening of the fluidic chamber 214 , so that the pressure selectively acting on the upper lens surface 222 may be varied.
- the actuator 230 is strained to be curved up or down, and thus varies the volume of the fluidic chamber 214 .
- the volume of a lens chamber defined as the space between the upper lens surface 222 and the lower lens surface 212 , and connected with the fluidic chamber 214 , is also varied.
- the pressure acting on the upper lens surface 222 is varied and strain is caused, whereby a focal distance by the upper lens surface 222 and the lower lens surface 212 may be varied.
- a polymer actuator made of an EAP which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the actuator 230 .
- polymer actuator examples include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as IPMC.
- electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer)
- dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon
- IPMC ionic polymer
- an optical fluid 10 such as water or oil may be injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmitting elastic film 220 and the actuator 230 .
- an injection hole for injecting the optical fluid 10 may be formed at one side of the light-transmitting substrate 210 or the cover substrate 250 . After the optical fluid is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed.
- one side of the channel 252 which connects the fluidic chamber 214 with the space between the respective lens surfaces is not formed by the light-transmitting elastic film 220 which is elastically strained, but is formed between the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 which are more rigid than the light-transmitting elastic film 220 , whereby the exact amount of the fluid can be dispensed when the hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid.
- this structure prevents local strain from unstably occurring in a boundary portion between each of the lens surfaces 212 and 222 and the channel 252 , whereby the exact amount of the fluid can uniformly be dispensed. Also, this structure reduces the motion time of the optical fluid 10 to reduce the response time required for focusing, prevents the operation pressure from rapidly increasing, and thus prevents reliability and stability from decreasing.
- FIG. 24 to FIG. 32 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- the optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured in a wafer-level process which includes providing a light-transmitting substrate 210 with a lower lens surface 212 and a fluidic chamber 214 , and a cover substrate provided with a lens hole 254 ; forming a channel 252 at one side of the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 , the channel 252 connecting the lower lens surface 212 with a fluidic chamber 214 ; bonding the cover substrate 250 to the light-transmitting substrate 210 to arrange the channel 252 between the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 ; providing a light-transmitting elastic film 220 on the cover substrate 250 to seal the lens hole 254 and form an upper lens surface 222 above the lower lens surface 212 ; providing an actuator 230 to a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 210 to cover a lower portion of the fluidic chamber 214 , the actuator 230 being strained as the power is applied thereto; and dicing the light-
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 formed of a transparent or semitransparent light-transmitting material is prepared.
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 is a related art transparent glass, and may be formed at various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches.
- the cover substrate 250 is prepared, which is formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 , or a material having different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). Since the cover substrate 250 is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmitting substrate 210 provided with the lower lens surface 212 , the cover substrate 250 may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance. For example, the cover substrate 250 may be formed of a polymer molding material such as silicon or glass.
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 is provided with a fluidic chamber 214 and a lower lens surface 212 , which are formed to be exposed to the top surface, wherein the fluidic chamber 214 and the lower lens surface 212 are spaced apart from each other.
- the cover substrate 250 is provided with a lens hole 254 which passes through the cover substrate 250 in a thickness direction to be arranged on the same optical axis as that of the lower lens surface 212 to correspond to the lower lens surface 212 .
- the fluidic chamber 214 , the lower lens surface 212 and the lens hole 254 may be formed by typical etching or a mechanical process.
- a channel 252 is formed at one side of opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 , wherein the channel 252 serves to connect the lower lens surface 212 with the fluidic chamber 214 .
- the channel 252 may be formed only on the light-transmitting substrate 210 or the cover substrate 250 .
- the channels may respectively be formed at the opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 .
- FIG. 25 an example of the channel 252 having a predetermined depth will be described, wherein the channel 252 is formed to be exposed to a bottom of the cover substrate 250 opposite to the light-transmitting substrate 210 .
- the channel 252 may be formed entirely between the fluidic chamber 214 and the lower lens surface 212 . Alternatively, a plurality of channels 252 may be formed at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, a single fluidic chamber 214 may be formed only for the lower lens surface 212 . Conversely, a plurality of fluidic chambers 214 may be formed for the lower lens surface 212 , wherein the fluidic chambers 214 are connected with one another. The number and arrangement structure of the fluidic chambers 214 may depend on required conditions and design options.
- the cover substrate 250 is bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 250 so that the channel 252 may be arranged between the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the cover substrate 250 .
- Bonding between the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be performed by a typical bonding method. The bonding method may depend on the material of the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 . For example, if the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 are formed of a typical glass, the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be bonded to each other by direct bonding without a separate adhesive.
- cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 are respectively formed of silicon and glass, the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be bonded to each other by anodic bonding without a separate adhesive. In addition, the cover substrate 250 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be bonded to each other by a typical adhesive.
- the lens hole 254 is sealed on the cover substrate 250 , and the light-transmitting elastic film 220 is provided to form the upper lens surface 222 above the lower lens surface 212 .
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be directly formed on the cover substrate 250 , the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be bonded to the cover substrate 250 through a release sheet 242 .
- the providing the light-transmitting elastic film 220 includes forming the light-transmitting elastic film 220 on the release sheet 242 , bonding the light-transmitting elastic film 220 formed on the release sheet 242 to the cover substrate 250 , and detaching the release sheet 242 from the light-transmitting elastic film 220 , as described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 .
- a hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the release sheet 242 .
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be formed in such a manner that a transparent or semitransparent elastic material is formed on the release sheet 242 in a thin film type by coating or spin coating.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 , or a material having different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity).
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be formed of elastomer such as PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility.
- the light-transmitting elastic film 220 is bonded onto the cover substrate 250 so that the release sheet is bonded thereto.
- the release sheet 242 is then detached from the light-transmitting elastic film 220 , so that the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be provided on the cover substrate 250 .
- Adhesion between the release sheet 242 and the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may have one-time use adhesion, so that the release sheet may selectively be detached from the light-transmitting elastic film 220 . Also, adhesion between the light-transmitting elastic film 220 and the cover substrate 250 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between the release sheet 242 and the light-transmitting elastic film 220 .
- a Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the release sheet 242 before the light-transmitting elastic film 220 is formed on the release sheet 242 , to facilitate detachment between the release sheet and the light-transmitting elastic film 220 .
- surface treatment such as O 2 plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the light-transmitting elastic film 220 and the cover substrate 250 before the light-transmitting elastic film 220 is bonded to the cover substrate 250 .
- the lower lens surface 212 and the upper lens surface 222 formed on the light-transmitting substrate 210 and the light-transmitting elastic film 220 may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the lower lens surface 212 and the upper lens surface 222 may be formed with a non-spherical structure.
- the actuator 230 is provided on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 210 to correspond to the fluidic chamber 214 , wherein the actuator 230 is varied as the power source is applied thereto.
- Various related art actuators may be used as the actuator 230 .
- a typical polymer actuator made of an EAP which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the actuator 230 .
- the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as IPMC.
- the polymer actuator 230 may be formed directly on the light-transmitting substrate 210 . Conversely, the polymer actuator 230 may be bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 210 through a release sheet 242 .
- the providing the actuator 230 includes forming the actuator 230 on the release sheet 242 , bonding the actuator 230 formed on the release sheet 242 to the light-transmitting substrate 210 , and detaching the release sheet 242 from the actuator 230 .
- a hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the release sheet 242 .
- the polymer actuator 230 may be formed in such a manner that a polymer and/or electrodes are sequentially deposited on the release sheet 242 .
- the polymer actuator 230 is bonded onto a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 210 so that the release sheet 242 is bonded thereto.
- the release sheet 242 is then detached from the actuator 230 , so that the polymer actuator 230 may be provided on the light-transmitting substrate 210 .
- Adhesion between the release sheet 242 and the actuator 230 may have one-time use adhesion, so that the release sheet 242 may selectively be detached from the actuator 230 . Also, adhesion between the actuator 230 and the light-transmitting substrate 210 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between the release sheet 242 and the actuator 230 .
- a Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the release sheet 242 before the actuator 230 is formed on the release sheet 242 , to facilitate detachment between the release sheet 242 and the actuator 230 .
- surface treatment such as O 2 plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the actuator 230 and the light-transmitting elastic film 220 before the actuator 230 is bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 210 .
- an optical fluid 10 such as water or oil is injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmitting elastic film 220 and the actuator 230 .
- the optical fluid 10 may be injected through an injection hole formed at one side of the light-transmitting substrate 210 or the cover substrate 250 . After the optical fluid is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed.
- the optical fluid 10 is injected after the actuator 230 is bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 210 .
- the optical fluid may be injected before the actuator 230 is bonded to the light-transmitting substrate 210 .
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 is diced for each module.
- the dicing the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be performed by a general dicing device.
- the light-transmitting substrate 210 may be divided into individual modules corresponding to the upper lens surface 222 , the lower lens surface 212 , and the fluidic chamber 214 .
- an optical lens surface may be formed on a bottom of the aforementioned light-transmitting substrate 210 or inside the light-transmitting substrate 210 to correspond to the lower lens surface 212 , so that the optical lens surface may be arranged on a channel of light which passes through the lower lens surface 212 .
- the optical lens surface may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the optical lens surface may be formed with a non-spherical structure.
- the optical lens surface may be formed when the light-transmitting substrate 210 is provided.
- the optical lens surface may be formed after various parts constituting the optical lens 200 are formed.
- FIG. 33 to FIG. 35 are sectional views illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts, and their detailed description will be omitted.
- a buffer elastic film 320 may be provided on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 210 before the actuator 230 is bonded to a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 210 , as shown in FIG. 33 .
- the buffer elastic film 320 may be formed of the same material as the light-transmitting elastic film 220 , or a different material from the light-transmitting elastic film 220 .
- the buffer elastic film 320 may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance.
- the buffer elastic film 320 may be formed of a material having an elastic modulus equivalent to that of the light-transmitting elastic film 220 , to improve efficiency of the actuator 230 .
- the actuator 130 is provided at one side of the upper or lower portions of the fluidic chamber
- the actuators 130 may respectively be formed at the upper or lower portions of the fluidic chamber 114 as shown in FIG. 34 , so that the actuators 130 may be independently driven.
- the optical lens surface 118 may be formed on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate 110 to correspond to the lower lens surface 112 , so that the optical lens surface 118 may be arranged on a channel of light which passes through the lower lens surface 112 .
- the optical lens surface 118 may have a convex or concave spherical structure.
- the optical lens surface 118 may have a non-spherical structure.
- the optical lens surface may be formed inside the light-transmitting substrate.
- the optical lens and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention have the following advantages.
- the optical lens Since the structure of the optical lens and its manufacturing process are simplified, the optical lens can be manufactured with miniaturization and thin size, the cost can be reduced, and productivity can be improved.
- the optical lens can be manufactured in a wafer-level process, it is advantageous in view of mass production, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced to reduce the cost of the product.
- the product can be manufactured to be small and slim.
- the actuator is provided through the elastic film having a relatively low elastic modulus, the power consumption is minimized, and the strain of the actuator can be maximized under the same power.
- the fluid can uniformly be dispensed when the hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid, it is possible to prevent reliability and stability from decreasing.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0111723, filed on Nov. 13, 2006 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- Apparatuses and manufacturing methods consistent with the present invention relate to an optical lens, and more particularly, to a variable focus optical lens that provides miniaturization and thin size, and reduces the cost and improves productivity by simplifying the structure and manufacturing process.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In general, an optical lens is a transparent body or lens having at least two refractive curves. The optical lens is widely used in various applications, such as cameras, telescopes, and microscopes.
- For example, a camera module using an optical lens is used for a personal mobile terminal, such as a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA), as well as a camera set. Recently, the personal mobile terminal has been developed as a multipurpose electronic device having various multimedia functions, such as a camera, a game, a music player, broadcasting, and connecting with the Internet, in addition to a simple audio transceiver function. Also, attempts to integrate more functions in a small area have been made for the personal mobile terminal.
- Furthermore, the camera module has recently developed auto focusing, auto zooming, and an auto macro function to obtain better images. However, when a camera module for a personal mobile terminal is manufactured to have these various advanced functions, the camera module is limited in its size, due to the size of a lens and a mechanical lens driving gear.
- In other words, to obtain the advanced functions, unlike a basic lens, a lens for each type is required, such as a proximity lens, a standard lens, a telephoto lens, and a zoom lens, and the lens should be exchanged with another lens, depending on the intended use. To achieve auto focusing, the focal distance of the lens should be varied. Since a separate motor or driver is required to control such variations, a problem occurs in that the whole size of the camera module increases.
- To solve such a problem, a liquid lens (or fluid lens) based on electrowetting has been suggested. The liquid lens achieves auto focusing and auto zooming by using its curvature variation. According to the electrowetting technology, a voltage is externally applied to an electrode coated with an insulator and a conductive fluid to eliminate surface tension of the conductive fluid when the conductive fluid and a nonconductive fluid are in contact with each other on the electrode, whereby a contact angle of the conductive fluid and a shape of a boundary between the two fluids are varied. The liquid lens based on electrowetting has an advantage in that a small sized camera module can be obtained as no mechanical lens motion is needed.
- However, the related art liquid lens has several problems. As the liquid lens is manufactured for each chip by separate process steps, the number of manufacturing process steps increase, thus the manufacturing cost increases and productivity is reduced. Also, a problem occurs in that a high driving voltage is required to create the flow of fluid and to apply a hydraulic pressure to the fluid. Furthermore, a problem occurs in that the response time required for focusing increases.
- Moreover, when the hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid, a problem occurs in that it is difficult to dispense the exact amount of the fluid. In particular, local strain unstably occurs in a boundary portion between a lens portion and a channel and thus the exact amount of the fluid is not dispensed. This deteriorates reliability and stability.
- Exemplary embodiments of the present invention overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.
- An aspect of the present invention provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the optical lens can be manufactured with miniaturization and thin size, and its structure and manufacturing process steps are simplified to reduce the cost and improve productivity.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the optical lens can be manufactured in a wafer-level process to facilitate mass production and reduce the manufacturing cost.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which low power consumption is required to obtain optimized efficiency when a flow occurs in a fluid or a hydraulic pressure is applied to a fluid.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the response time required for focusing can be reduced.
- An aspect of the present invention also provides an optical lens and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a fluid can uniformly be dispensed when a hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid, whereby reliability and stability can be prevented from being decreased.
- According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical lens comprising a light-transmitting substrate which comprises a lens chamber and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lens chamber and the fluidic chamber are connected with each other; a light-transmitting elastic film which seals the lens chamber; a buffer elastic film which seals the fluidic chamber; and an actuator on the buffer elastic film which corresponds to the fluidic chamber, and varies a volume of the fluidic chamber to vary a pressure acting on the light-transmitting elastic film.
- The light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be connected with each other to form a single body. Alternatively, the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be detached from each other. The light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be formed of the same material or different materials.
- According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical lens comprising a light-transmitting substrate which comprises a lower lens surface and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lower lens surface and the fluidic chamber are spaced apart from each other and are connected with each other; a light-transmitting elastic film on the light-transmitting substrate which seals the lower lens surface and the fluidic chamber, and forms a variable upper lens surface above the lower lens surface; and an actuator on the light-transmitting elastic film which corresponds to the fluidic chamber and is strained if a power source is applied thereto, which varies a volume of the fluidic chamber.
- The light-transmitting substrate may be formed of various sizes and materials, and may be made from a circular wafer. A channel may be formed entirely between the fluidic chamber and the lower lens surface. Alternatively, a plurality of channels may be formed at predetermined intervals. A single fluidic chamber may be formed only for the lower lens surface. Conversely, a plurality of fluidic chambers may be formed for the lower lens surface, wherein the fluidic chambers are connected with one another. Also, the light-transmitting substrate further includes an optical lens surface arranged on a channel of light that passes through the lower lens surface. The optical lens surface may have a spherical or a non-spherical structure.
- The light-transmitting elastic film may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate, or a material having different properties as that of the light-transmitting substrate (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). The efficiency of the actuator which is curve-strained depends on the binding conditions of the actuator. Accordingly, the light-transmitting elastic film is preferably formed of a material having an elastic modulus lower than that of the actuator, to minimize binding of the actuator and maximize efficiency of the actuator. For example, the light-transmitting elastic film may be formed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility. In addition, the light-transmitting elastic film may be formed of elastomer. Either a functional coating layer, such as an antireflective coating layer and an anti-infrared coating layer, or a protective layer, may be formed on the surface of the light-transmitting elastic film.
- The lower lens surface and the upper lens surface of the light-transmitting substrate and the light-transmitting elastic film may have a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, the lower lens surface and the upper lens surface may have a non-spherical structure.
- Various related art actuators may be used as the actuator. Preferably, a polymer actuator formed of an electro active polymer (EAP), which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the actuator. Examples of the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC).
- According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical lens comprising a light-transmitting substrate which comprises a lower lens surface and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lower lens surface and the fluidic chamber are spaced apart from each other; a cover substrate with a lens hole which is formed to correspond to the lower lens surface and which is provided on the light-transmitting substrate to cover an upper portion of the fluidic chamber; a light-transmitting elastic film on the cover substrate which seals the lens hole and forms an upper lens surface above the lower lens surface; and an actuator on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate which covers a lower portion of the fluidic chamber, and which is strained if a power source is applied thereto, which varies a volume of the fluidic chamber, wherein a channel is formed of at least one of opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate and the cover substrate, and the channel connects the lower lens surface with the fluidic chamber.
- The light-transmitting substrate may be formed of various sizes and materials, and may be made from a circular wafer. The cover substrate may be formed of the same material as that of the light-transmitting substrate, or may be formed of a material having different properties (for example, refractive index and transmissivity) from that of the light-transmitting substrate. Since the cover substrate is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmitting substrate, the cover substrate may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance.
- Bonding between the cover substrate and the light-transmitting substrate may be performed by a typical bonding method. For example, the cover substrate and the light-transmitting substrate may be bonded to each other by direct bonding or anodic bonding. Alternatively, the cover substrate and the light-transmitting substrate may be bonded to each other by a typical adhesive.
- Furthermore, a channel may be formed only on the light-transmitting substrate or the cover substrate. Conversely, channels may respectively be formed at opposing surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate and the cover substrate to cooperate with each other.
- A buffer elastic film may be provided on a bottom of the light-transmitting substrate, and the actuator may be provided on the buffer elastic film. The buffer elastic film may be formed of the same or a different material from the light-transmitting elastic film. Since the buffer elastic film is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmitting elastic film, the buffer elastic film may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance. Preferably, the buffer elastic film may be formed of a material having an elastic modulus equivalent to that of the light-transmitting elastic film to improve the efficiency of the actuator.
- The above and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIGS. 2 and 3 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 toFIG. 7 illustrate a polymer actuator of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIGS. 8A and 8B are sectional views illustrating the operation state of an actuator and a light-transmitting elastic film in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a design condition of a lens portion and an actuator in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 11 toFIG. 19 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIGS. 21 and 22 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 23 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 24 toFIG. 32 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIG. 33 toFIG. 35 are sectional views illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein reference numerals of elements are used consistently throughout this specification. The exemplary embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. The detailed description of the known function or constitution may be omitted to clarify the subject matter of the present invention.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 2 and 3 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - An optical lens according to the present invention includes a light-transmitting substrate provided with a lens chamber and a fluidic chamber, wherein the lens chamber and the fluidic chamber are connected with each other, a light-transmitting elastic film sealing the lens chamber, a buffer elastic film sealing the fluidic chamber, and an actuator provided on the buffer elastic film to correspond to the fluidic chamber, varying the volume of the fluidic chamber to vary a pressure acting on the light-transmitting elastic film. The light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be connected with each other to form a single body, or may be provided independently from each other. Also, the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film may be formed of the same material or different materials. Hereinafter, an example of the light-transmitting elastic film and the buffer elastic film, which are formed in a single body, will be described.
- As shown in
FIG. 1 toFIG. 4 , anoptical lens 100 according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a light-transmittingsubstrate 110, a light-transmittingelastic film 120, and anactuator 130. - The light-transmitting
substrate 10 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent light-transmitting material. For example, the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 may be formed of a transparent glass or silicon. The light-transmittingsubstrate 110 may be made from a circular wafer of a light-transmitting material, wherein the circular wafer has various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches. - A
fluidic chamber 114 having a predetermined depth and alower lens surface 112 are formed to be exposed on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, wherein thelower lens surface 112 is spaced apart from thefluidic chamber 114 at a predetermined distance. Thefluidic chamber 114 and thelower lens surface 112 are connected with each other. Specifically, achannel 116 is formed between thefluidic chamber 114 and thelower lens surface 112. Thechannel 116 is also exposed to the top surface of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110. Thefluidic chamber 114, thelower lens surface 112, and thechannel 116 can be formed by etching or a mechanical process. Thechannel 116 may be formed entirely between thefluidic chamber 114 and thelower lens surface 112. Alternatively, a plurality ofchannels 116 may be formed at predetermined intervals. The channel may be formed inside the light-transmitting substrate. - Furthermore, a
single fluidic chamber 114 may be formed only for thelower lens surface 112. Conversely, a plurality of fluidic chambers may be formed for thelower lens surface 112, wherein the fluidic chambers are connected with one another. The number and arrangement structure of thefluidic chambers 114 may depend on required conditions and design options. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 120 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent elastic material, and is provided on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 to seal thelower lens surface 112 and thefluidic chamber 114. Anupper lens surface 122 is formed above thelower lens surface 112. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 120 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, or different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 110 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). For example, the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be formed of PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility. In addition, the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be formed of elastomer. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 120 is bonded to the top surface of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 in a single body by a typical adhesive or a bonding method, whereby thelower lens surface 112, thefluidic chamber 114, and thechannel 116 are sealed, and a part of the light-transmittingelastic film 120 forms theupper lens surface 122 above thelower lens surface 112. Either a functional coating layer, such as an antireflective coating layer and an anti-infrared coating layer, or a protective layer may be formed on the surface of the light-transmittingelastic film 120. - The
lower lens surface 112 and theupper lens surface 122 may have a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, thelower lens surface 112 and theupper lens surface 122 may have a non-spherical structure. - Also, an
optical fluid 10 such as water or oil may be injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmittingelastic film 120. Specifically, an injection hole for injecting theoptical fluid 10 may be formed at one side of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110. After theoptical fluid 10 is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed. - The
actuator 130 is provided on the light-transmittingelastic film 120 to correspond to thefluidic chamber 114, so that the pressure selectively acting on theupper lens surface 122 may be varied. As a power source is applied, theactuator 130 is strained to be curved up or down, and thus varies the volume of thefluidic chamber 114. Specifically, if the volume of thefluidic chamber 114 is varied by such strain of theactuator 130, the volume of the lens chamber, defined as the space between theupper lens surface 122 and thelower lens surface 112, and connected with thefluidic chamber 114, is also varied. As a result, the pressure acting on theupper lens surface 122 is varied and strain is caused, whereby a focal distance by theupper lens surface 122 and thelower lens surface 112 may be varied. - Various related art actuators may be used as the
actuator 130. Preferably, but not necessarily, a polymer actuator made of an EAP, which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as theactuator 130. - The EAP is a material that becomes strained when a voltage is applied thereto, similar to piezoelectric material. The EAP differs from the piezoelectric material in that strain size of the EAP is considerably greater than that of the piezoelectric material. The EAP can be categorized into an EAP actuated by an electric field, an EAP actuated by static electricity, and an EAP actuated by ions.
- Also,
FIG. 5 toFIG. 7 illustrate a polymer actuator in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , apolymer actuator 130 a includes an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer). When the power source is applied to anelectrostrictive polymer layer 131 a, electrostrictive strain similar to a piezoelectric effect is caused, whereby thepolymer actuator 130 a is strained to be curved up or down. - As another example, as shown in
FIG. 6 , thepolymer actuator 130 b may include a dielectric elastomer, such as acrylate or silicon. The power source is applied to electrodes provided at both sides of adielectric elastomer layer 131 b so that a potential difference may be applied to both electrodes, whereby thedielectric elastomer layer 131 b may be strained to be curved up or down by a Maxwell force between thedielectric elastomer layer 131 b and each electrode. - As another example, as shown in
FIG. 7 , thepolymer actuator 130 c may include an ionic polymer such as IPMC. When the power source is applied to electrodes provided at both sides of anion polymer layer 131 c, theion polymer layer 131 c may be strained to be curved up or down by electro-osmosis, in which a positive ion inside theion polymer layer 131 c moves to a cathode. - Moreover, as the
actuator 130 is bonded onto the light-transmittingelastic film 120, the efficiency of the actuator can be maximized.FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the operation state of the actuator in the optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B , since the light-transmittingelastic film 120 formed of an elastic polymer such as PDMS has an elastic modulus lower than that of thepolymer actuator 130 formed of an active polymer in the range of one several hundredth, the light-transmittingelastic film 120 does not bind thepolymer actuator 130 when thepolymer actuator 130 is curved, whereby the efficiency of thepolymer actuator 130 can be maximized. - Specifically, as shown in
FIG. 8A , if theactuator 130 is directly mounted on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 without passing through the light-transmittingelastic film 120, a bonded portion of theactuator 130 is bound in the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, whereby a strain 61 of theactuator 130 does not occur efficiently. However, as shown inFIG. 8B , if theactuator 130 is mounted on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 through the light-transmittingelastic film 120, a bonded portion of theactuator 130 is also strained when theactuator 130 is curve-strained, and the light-transmittingelastic film 120 does not bind the bonded portion of theactuator 130, whereby a strain 62 of theactuator 130 can be maximized. As a result, the power consumption can be minimized, and the strain and response speed of theactuator 130 can be maximized under the same power. - Also,
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a design condition of a lens portion and an actuator in an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - A shape of the light-transmitting
elastic film 120 varied by variation of the hydraulic pressure (or flow) can be approximated based on Equation 1 below. -
- Referring to
FIG. 9 , in Equation 1, W(r) is displacement in a direction ‘z’, WO is maximum displacement in the center, and a is a radius of the lens. - When the maximum displacement is given in the center, the volume variation of an optical fluid contained in the lens becomes ΔV=(π/6)W0a2. Also, when the strain given by Equation 1 occurs, the focal distance ‘f’ is obtained by Equation 2 below.
-
- Referring to
FIG. 9 , in Equation 2, n1 and n2 are refractive indices of the optical fluid and the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, respectively, and R1 and R2 are curvature radiuses of theupper lens surface 122 and thelower lens surface 112, respectively. - Therefore, the first term of the right side of Equation 2 represents a dioptric power that is varied when R1 is varied, and the second term of the right side of Equation 2 represents a dioptric power that is fixed by the
lower lens surface 112. Assuming that the optical fluid is oil (n1=1.52) and the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 is glass (n2=1.60), in order to give variation of 50 D. (diopter), a curvature radius of theupper lens surface 122 should be varied in the range of more than 10 mm. This corresponds to a maximum deflection of WO=50 μm (volume variation of oil, 25 nano liter) for theupper lens surface 122, whose diameter is 1 mm. - The light-transmitting elastic film-120 requires certain properties. Specifically, the light-transmitting
elastic film 120 should have good transmissivity in the same manner as PDMS, should have a low Young's modulus (several KPa) to generate strain by only the hydraulic pressure in the range of several KPa, and should not cause permanent strain even while incurring a high strain. As calculated by the respective equations as above, to vary dioptric power of 50 D., the light-transmittingelastic film 120 should be driven to generate a deflection of WO=50 μm. In this case, the required hydraulic pressure p can be calculated from Equation 3 below. -
- In Equation 3, E is Young's modulus, v is Poisson's ratio, and t is a thickness. Supposing that the thin film is PDMS (E=about 3 MPa, v=0.48) and the thickness is 0.1 mm, a the hydraulic pressure of about 1 KPa is required to generate a deflection of WO=50 μm.
- Also, when the polymer actuator which includes an electrostrictive polymer is used as the
actuator 130 and driven, the structure as shown inFIG. 10 is obtained. - As shown in
FIG. 10 , since thepolymer actuator 130 includes an upper inactive area with a thickness ti and a lower active area with a thickness ta, expansion or contraction occurs in a direction vertical to an electrode when a voltage is applied to thepolymer actuator 130. Also, strain occurs in a direction parallel with the electrode due to Poisson effect. Thus, curve strain is caused to the whole structure of theactuator 130. For reference, when an effect of the light-transmittingelastic film 120 having low elastic modulus is disregarded, the height of the upper inactive area should be equal to that of the lower active area to obtain maximum strain. The light-transmittingelastic film 120 is efficiently used to increase the strain of theactuator 130. In other words, the efficiency of theactuator 130 which is curve-strained depends on the binding conditions of theactuator 130. Since the elastic modulus of the light-transmittingelastic film 120 is lower than that of the polymer used as theactuator 130 in the range of one several hundredth, the light-transmittingelastic film 120 does not bind theactuator 130 when theactuator 130 is curve-strained, whereby a high efficiency of theactuator 130 is obtained. In order to vary a dioptric power of 50 D. (diopter) calculated through Equation 2 (this corresponds to a driving volume of 25 nano liter), a deflection of about 30 mm is required if thefluidic chamber 114 is 2 mm*2 mm. This means that theactuator 130 with a thickness of 80 mm (ta=40 mm, ti=40 mm) should be designed to generate an electrostrictive strain of about 0.3%. - Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.
-
FIG. 11 toFIG. 19 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - The optical lens according to the present invention can be manufactured in a wafer-level process which includes providing a light-transmitting
substrate 110 with alower lens surface 112 and afluidic chamber 114, thelower lens surface 112 and thefluidic chamber 114 being spaced apart from each other and connected with each other; providing a light-transmittingelastic film 120 on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 to seal thelower lens surface 112 and thefluidic chamber 114 and form anupper lens surface 122 above thelower lens surface 112; providing anactuator 130 on the light-transmittingelastic film 120 to correspond to thefluidic chamber 114, theactuator 130 being strained if a power source is applied thereto; and dicing the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 to provide individual modules corresponding to theupper lens surface 122, thelower lens surface 112, and thefluidic chamber 114. - In the providing the light-transmitting
substrate 110, as shown inFIG. 11 , the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 formed of a transparent or semitransparent light-transmitting material is prepared. For example, the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 is a related art transparent glass, and may have various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches. - As shown in
FIG. 12 , thefluidic chamber 114 having a predetermined depth and thelower lens surface 112 are formed to be exposed on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, wherein thelower lens surface 112 is spaced apart from thefluidic chamber 114 at a predetermined distance. Thefluidic chamber 114 and thelower lens surface 112 are connected with each other. Thefluidic chamber 114 and thelower lens surface 112 may be connected with each other by forming achannel 116, which connects thelower lens surface 112 with thefluidic chamber 114, on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 to be externally exposed. Thefluidic chamber 114, thelower lens surface 112, and thechannel 116 may be formed by etching or a mechanical process. - The
channel 116 may be formed entirely between thefluidic chamber 114 and thelower lens surface 112. Alternatively, a plurality ofchannels 116 may be formed at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, asingle fluidic chamber 114 may be formed only for thelower lens surface 112. Conversely, a plurality of fluidic chambers may be formed for thelower lens surface 112, wherein the fluidic chambers are connected with one another. - Next, the
lower lens surface 112 and thefluidic chamber 114 are sealed on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, and the light-transmittingelastic film 120 is provided to form theupper lens surface 122 above thelower lens surface 112. Although the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be directly formed on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 through arelease sheet 141. - As shown in
FIGS. 13 and 14 , the providing the light-transmittingelastic film 120 includes forming the light-transmittingelastic film 120 on therelease sheet 141, bonding the light-transmittingelastic film 120 formed on therelease sheet 141 to the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, and detaching therelease sheet 141 from the light-transmittingelastic film 120. - A hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the
release sheet 141. The light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be formed in such a manner that a transparent or semitransparent elastic material is formed on therelease sheet 141 in a thin film type by coating or spin coating. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 120 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, or different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 110 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). For example, the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be formed of an elastomer such as PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility. - Afterwards, the light-transmitting
elastic film 120 is bonded to the top surface of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 so that therelease sheet 141 is bonded thereto. Therelease sheet 141 is then detached from the light-transmittingelastic film 120, so that the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may be provided on the light-transmittingsubstrate 110. - Adhesion between the
release sheet 141 and the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may have one-time use adhesion, so that therelease sheet 141 may selectively be detached from the light-transmittingelastic film 120. Also, adhesion between the light-transmittingelastic film 120 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between therelease sheet 141 and the light-transmittingelastic film 120. - A Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the
release sheet 141 before the light-transmittingelastic film 120 is formed on therelease sheet 141, to facilitate detachment between therelease sheet 141 and the light-transmittingelastic film 120. Conversely, in order to firmly bond the light-transmittingelastic film 120 to the light-transmittingsubstrate 110, surface treatment such as oxygen (O2) plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the light-transmittingelastic film 120 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 before the light-transmittingelastic film 120 is bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 110. - The
lower lens surface 112 and theupper lens surface 122 may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, thelower lens surface 112 and theupper lens surface 122 may be formed with a non-spherical structure. - Next, the
actuator 130 is provided on the light-transmittingelastic film 120 to correspond to thefluidic chamber 114, wherein theactuator 130 is varied as the power source is applied thereto. Various related art actuators may be used as theactuator 130. - Preferably, a typical polymer actuator made of an EAP, which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the
actuator 130. Examples of the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as IPMC, described above with reference toFIG. 5 toFIG. 7 . - The
polymer actuator 130 may directly be formed on the light-transmittingelastic film 120. Conversely, thepolymer actuator 130 may be bonded to the light-transmittingelastic film 120 through arelease sheet 142. - As shown in
FIG. 15 toFIG. 17 , the providing of theactuator 130 includes forming theactuator 130 on therelease sheet 142, bonding theactuator 130 formed on therelease sheet 142 to the light-transmittingelastic film 120, and detaching therelease sheet 142 from theactuator 130. - A hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the
release sheet 142. Thepolymer actuator 130 may be formed in such a manner that a polymer and/or electrodes are sequentially deposited on the release sheet. - Next, the
polymer actuator 130 is bonded onto the light-transmittingelastic film 120 so that therelease sheet 142 is bonded thereto. Therelease sheet 142 is then detached from theactuator 130, so that thepolymer actuator 130 may be provided on the light-transmittingelastic film 120. - Adhesion between the
release sheet 142 and theactuator 130 may have one-time use adhesion, so that therelease sheet 142 may selectively be detached from theactuator 130. Also, adhesion between the actuator 130 and the light-transmittingelastic film 120 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between therelease sheet 142 and theactuator 130. - A Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the
release sheet 142 before theactuator 130 is formed on therelease sheet 142, to facilitate detachment between therelease sheet 142 and theactuator 130. Conversely, in order to firmly bond the actuator 130 to the light-transmittingelastic film 120, surface treatment such as O2 plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the actuator 130 and the light-transmittingelastic film 120 before theactuator 130 is bonded to the light-transmittingelastic film 120. - Next, as shown in
FIG. 18 , anoptical fluid 10 such as water or oil is injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmittingelastic film 120. Theoptical fluid 10 may be injected through an injection hole formed at one side of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110. After the optical fluid is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed. In this embodiment, the optical fluid is injected after theactuator 130 is bonded to the light-transmittingelastic film 120. However, the optical fluid may be injected before theactuator 130 is bonded to the light-transmittingelastic film 120. - Finally, as shown in
FIG. 19 , the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 is diced for each module. - The dicing the light-transmitting
substrate 110 may be performed by a general dicing device. The light-transmittingsubstrate 110 may be divided into individual modules corresponding to theupper lens surface 122, thelower lens surface 112, and thefluidic chamber 114. - Also, an optical lens surface may be formed on a bottom of the aforementioned light-transmitting
substrate 110 or inside the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 to correspond to thelower lens surface 112, so that the optical lens surface may be arranged on a channel of light which passes through thelower lens surface 112. The optical lens surface may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, the optical lens surface may be formed with a non-spherical structure. Preferably, the optical lens surface may be formed when the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 is provided. The optical lens surface may be formed after various parts constituting the optical lens are formed. -
FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 21 and 22 are an exploded perspective view and a partially cut perspective view, respectively, illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 23 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - The same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts, and their detailed description will be omitted.
- As shown in
FIG. 20 toFIG. 23 , anoptical lens 200 according another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a light-transmittingsubstrate 210, acover substrate 250, a light-transmittingelastic film 220, and anactuator 230. - The light-transmitting
substrate 210 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent light-transmitting material. For example, the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be formed of a transparent glass or silicon. The light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be made from a circular wafer of a light-transmitting material, wherein the circular wafer has various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches. - A
fluidic chamber 214 having a predetermined depth and alower lens surface 212 are formed to be exposed on the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, wherein thelower lens surface 212 is spaced apart from thefluidic chamber 214 at a predetermined distance. Thefluidic chamber 214 and thelower lens surface 212 may be formed by etching or a mechanical process. - The
cover substrate 250 is tightly bonded to the top surface of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to cover an opening on thefluidic chamber 214. Thecover substrate 250 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, or may be formed of a material having different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). Since thecover substrate 250 is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 provided with thelower lens surface 212, thecover substrate 250 may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance. For example, thecover substrate 250 may be formed of a polymer molding material, such as silicon or glass. - The
cover substrate 250 is provided with alens hole 254 which passes through thecover substrate 250 in a thickness direction, to be arranged on the same optical axis as that of thelower lens surface 212 to correspond to thelower lens surface 212. Thelens hole 254 may be formed by etching or a mechanical process. - Furthermore, bonding between the
cover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be performed by a typical bonding method. For example, if thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 are formed of a typical glass, thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be bonded to each other by direct bonding without a separate adhesive. As another example, if thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 are respectively formed of silicon and glass, thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be bonded to each other by anodic bonding without a separate adhesive. In addition, thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be bonded to each other by a typical adhesive. - Furthermore, a
channel 252 is formed at one side of opposing surfaces of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250, wherein thechannel 252 serves to connect thelower lens surface 212 with thefluidic chamber 214. Thechannel 252 may be formed only on the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 or thecover substrate 250. Alternatively, the channels may respectively be formed at the opposing surfaces of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250 so as to cooperate with each other. Hereinafter, an example of thechannel 252 having a predetermined depth will be described, wherein thechannel 252 is formed to be exposed to a bottom on thecover substrate 250 only opposite to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. - The
channel 252 may be formed entirely between thefluidic chamber 214 and thelower lens surface 212. Alternatively, a plurality ofchannels 252 may be formed at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, asingle fluidic chamber 214 may be formed only for thelower lens surface 212. Conversely, a plurality offluidic chambers 214 may be formed for thelower lens surface 212, wherein thefluidic chambers 214 are connected with one another. The number and arrangement structure of thefluidic chambers 214 may depend on required conditions and design options. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 220 is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent elastic material, and is provided on thecover substrate 250 to seal thelens hole 254, whereby anupper lens surface 222 is formed above thelower lens surface 212. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 220 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, or different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). For example, the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be formed of elastomer, such as PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 220 may be bonded to the top surface of thecover substrate 250 in a single body by a typical adhesive or a bonding method, whereby thelens hole 254 is sealed, and a part of the light-transmittingelastic film 220 forms theupper lens surface 222 above thelower lens surface 212. Either a functional coating layer, such as an antireflective coating layer and an anti-infrared coating layer, or a protective layer may be formed on the surface of the light-transmittingelastic film 220. - The
lower lens surface 212 and theupper lens surface 222 may have a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, thelower lens surface 212 and theupper lens surface 222 may have a non-spherical structure. - The
actuator 230 is provided on a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to cover a lower opening of thefluidic chamber 214, so that the pressure selectively acting on theupper lens surface 222 may be varied. As a power source is applied, theactuator 230 is strained to be curved up or down, and thus varies the volume of thefluidic chamber 214. Specifically, when the volume of thefluidic chamber 214 is varied by such strain of theactuator 230, the volume of a lens chamber, defined as the space between theupper lens surface 222 and thelower lens surface 212, and connected with thefluidic chamber 214, is also varied. As a result, the pressure acting on theupper lens surface 222 is varied and strain is caused, whereby a focal distance by theupper lens surface 222 and thelower lens surface 212 may be varied. - Various related art actuators may be used as the
actuator 230. Preferably, a polymer actuator made of an EAP, which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as theactuator 230. - Examples of the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as IPMC.
- Also, an
optical fluid 10 such as water or oil may be injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmittingelastic film 220 and theactuator 230. Specifically, an injection hole for injecting theoptical fluid 10 may be formed at one side of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 or thecover substrate 250. After the optical fluid is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed. - As described above, in the optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one side of the
channel 252 which connects thefluidic chamber 214 with the space between the respective lens surfaces is not formed by the light-transmittingelastic film 220 which is elastically strained, but is formed between the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250 which are more rigid than the light-transmittingelastic film 220, whereby the exact amount of the fluid can be dispensed when the hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid. - In particular, this structure prevents local strain from unstably occurring in a boundary portion between each of the lens surfaces 212 and 222 and the
channel 252, whereby the exact amount of the fluid can uniformly be dispensed. Also, this structure reduces the motion time of theoptical fluid 10 to reduce the response time required for focusing, prevents the operation pressure from rapidly increasing, and thus prevents reliability and stability from decreasing. - Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.
-
FIG. 24 toFIG. 32 are sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - The optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured in a wafer-level process which includes providing a light-transmitting
substrate 210 with alower lens surface 212 and afluidic chamber 214, and a cover substrate provided with alens hole 254; forming achannel 252 at one side of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250, thechannel 252 connecting thelower lens surface 212 with afluidic chamber 214; bonding thecover substrate 250 to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to arrange thechannel 252 between the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250; providing a light-transmittingelastic film 220 on thecover substrate 250 to seal thelens hole 254 and form anupper lens surface 222 above thelower lens surface 212; providing anactuator 230 to a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to cover a lower portion of thefluidic chamber 214, theactuator 230 being strained as the power is applied thereto; and dicing the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to provide individual modules corresponding to theupper lens surface 222, thelower lens surface 212, and thefluidic chamber 214. - In the providing of the light-transmitting
substrate 210 and thecover substrate 250, as shown inFIG. 24 , the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 formed of a transparent or semitransparent light-transmitting material is prepared. For example, the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 is a related art transparent glass, and may be formed at various sizes such as 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, and 10 inches. - As shown in
FIG. 25 , thecover substrate 250 is prepared, which is formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, or a material having different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). Since thecover substrate 250 is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 provided with thelower lens surface 212, thecover substrate 250 may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance. For example, thecover substrate 250 may be formed of a polymer molding material such as silicon or glass. - Here, the light-transmitting
substrate 210 is provided with afluidic chamber 214 and alower lens surface 212, which are formed to be exposed to the top surface, wherein thefluidic chamber 214 and thelower lens surface 212 are spaced apart from each other. Thecover substrate 250 is provided with alens hole 254 which passes through thecover substrate 250 in a thickness direction to be arranged on the same optical axis as that of thelower lens surface 212 to correspond to thelower lens surface 212. Thefluidic chamber 214, thelower lens surface 212 and thelens hole 254 may be formed by typical etching or a mechanical process. - Next, a
channel 252 is formed at one side of opposing surfaces of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250, wherein thechannel 252 serves to connect thelower lens surface 212 with thefluidic chamber 214. Thechannel 252 may be formed only on the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 or thecover substrate 250. Alternatively, the channels may respectively be formed at the opposing surfaces of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250. Hereinafter, as shown inFIG. 25 , an example of thechannel 252 having a predetermined depth will be described, wherein thechannel 252 is formed to be exposed to a bottom of thecover substrate 250 opposite to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. - The
channel 252 may be formed entirely between thefluidic chamber 214 and thelower lens surface 212. Alternatively, a plurality ofchannels 252 may be formed at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, asingle fluidic chamber 214 may be formed only for thelower lens surface 212. Conversely, a plurality offluidic chambers 214 may be formed for thelower lens surface 212, wherein thefluidic chambers 214 are connected with one another. The number and arrangement structure of thefluidic chambers 214 may depend on required conditions and design options. - Next, as shown in
FIG. 26 , thecover substrate 250 is bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 250 so that thechannel 252 may be arranged between the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and thecover substrate 250. Bonding between thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be performed by a typical bonding method. The bonding method may depend on the material of thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. For example, if thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 are formed of a typical glass, thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be bonded to each other by direct bonding without a separate adhesive. As another example, if thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 are respectively formed of silicon and glass, thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be bonded to each other by anodic bonding without a separate adhesive. In addition, thecover substrate 250 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be bonded to each other by a typical adhesive. - Afterwards, as shown in
FIG. 27 , thelens hole 254 is sealed on thecover substrate 250, and the light-transmittingelastic film 220 is provided to form theupper lens surface 222 above thelower lens surface 212. Although the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be directly formed on thecover substrate 250, the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be bonded to thecover substrate 250 through arelease sheet 242. - Specifically, the providing the light-transmitting
elastic film 220 includes forming the light-transmittingelastic film 220 on therelease sheet 242, bonding the light-transmittingelastic film 220 formed on therelease sheet 242 to thecover substrate 250, and detaching therelease sheet 242 from the light-transmittingelastic film 220, as described with reference toFIGS. 13 and 14 . - A hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the
release sheet 242. The light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be formed in such a manner that a transparent or semitransparent elastic material is formed on therelease sheet 242 in a thin film type by coating or spin coating. - The light-transmitting
elastic film 220 may be formed of a material having the same properties as that of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, or a material having different properties from that of the light-transmitting substrate 210 (for example, refractive index and transmissivity). For example, the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be formed of elastomer such as PDMS, which is transparent and has excellent durability and flexibility. - Next, the light-transmitting
elastic film 220 is bonded onto thecover substrate 250 so that the release sheet is bonded thereto. Therelease sheet 242 is then detached from the light-transmittingelastic film 220, so that the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be provided on thecover substrate 250. - Adhesion between the
release sheet 242 and the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may have one-time use adhesion, so that the release sheet may selectively be detached from the light-transmittingelastic film 220. Also, adhesion between the light-transmittingelastic film 220 and thecover substrate 250 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between therelease sheet 242 and the light-transmittingelastic film 220. - A Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the
release sheet 242 before the light-transmittingelastic film 220 is formed on therelease sheet 242, to facilitate detachment between the release sheet and the light-transmittingelastic film 220. Conversely, in order to firmly bond the light-transmittingelastic film 120 to thecover substrate 250, surface treatment such as O2 plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the light-transmittingelastic film 220 and thecover substrate 250 before the light-transmittingelastic film 220 is bonded to thecover substrate 250. - The
lower lens surface 212 and theupper lens surface 222 formed on the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 and the light-transmittingelastic film 220 may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, thelower lens surface 212 and theupper lens surface 222 may be formed with a non-spherical structure. - Next, the
actuator 230 is provided on a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to correspond to thefluidic chamber 214, wherein theactuator 230 is varied as the power source is applied thereto. Various related art actuators may be used as theactuator 230. - Preferably, a typical polymer actuator made of an EAP, which is very thin and has low power consumption, may be used as the
actuator 230. Examples of the polymer actuator include an electrostrictive polymer such as P(VDF-TrFE) (interpolymer), a dielectric elastomer such as acrylate or silicon, and an ionic polymer such as IPMC. - The
polymer actuator 230 may be formed directly on the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. Conversely, thepolymer actuator 230 may be bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 through arelease sheet 242. - As shown in
FIG. 28 toFIG. 30 , the providing theactuator 230 includes forming theactuator 230 on therelease sheet 242, bonding theactuator 230 formed on therelease sheet 242 to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, and detaching therelease sheet 242 from theactuator 230. - A hard release sheet or a soft release sheet may be used as the
release sheet 242. Thepolymer actuator 230 may be formed in such a manner that a polymer and/or electrodes are sequentially deposited on therelease sheet 242. - Next, the
polymer actuator 230 is bonded onto a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 so that therelease sheet 242 is bonded thereto. Therelease sheet 242 is then detached from theactuator 230, so that thepolymer actuator 230 may be provided on the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. - Adhesion between the
release sheet 242 and theactuator 230 may have one-time use adhesion, so that therelease sheet 242 may selectively be detached from theactuator 230. Also, adhesion between the actuator 230 and the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may have relatively strong adhesion in comparison with the adhesion between therelease sheet 242 and theactuator 230. - A Teflon coating layer may additionally be formed on the surface of the
release sheet 242 before theactuator 230 is formed on therelease sheet 242, to facilitate detachment between therelease sheet 242 and theactuator 230. Conversely, in order to firmly bond the actuator 230 to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, surface treatment such as O2 plasma etching may additionally be performed on the adhesive surface between the actuator 230 and the light-transmittingelastic film 220 before theactuator 230 is bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. - Next, as shown in
FIG. 31 , anoptical fluid 10 such as water or oil is injected into a sealing space sealed by the light-transmittingelastic film 220 and theactuator 230. Theoptical fluid 10 may be injected through an injection hole formed at one side of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 or thecover substrate 250. After the optical fluid is injected into the injection hole, the injection hole is again sealed. In the current embodiment, theoptical fluid 10 is injected after theactuator 230 is bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. However, the optical fluid may be injected before theactuator 230 is bonded to the light-transmittingsubstrate 210. - Finally, as shown in
FIG. 32 , the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 is diced for each module. - The dicing the light-transmitting
substrate 210 may be performed by a general dicing device. The light-transmittingsubstrate 210 may be divided into individual modules corresponding to theupper lens surface 222, thelower lens surface 212, and thefluidic chamber 214. - Also, an optical lens surface may be formed on a bottom of the aforementioned light-transmitting
substrate 210 or inside the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 to correspond to thelower lens surface 212, so that the optical lens surface may be arranged on a channel of light which passes through thelower lens surface 212. The optical lens surface may be formed with a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, the optical lens surface may be formed with a non-spherical structure. Preferably, the optical lens surface may be formed when the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 is provided. The optical lens surface may be formed after various parts constituting theoptical lens 200 are formed. - Also,
FIG. 33 toFIG. 35 are sectional views illustrating a structure of an optical lens according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The same or like reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts, and their detailed description will be omitted. - In the aforementioned embodiments as shown, while it has been described that the
actuator 230 is directly bonded to a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, a bufferelastic film 320 may be provided on a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210 before theactuator 230 is bonded to a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 210, as shown inFIG. 33 . The bufferelastic film 320 may be formed of the same material as the light-transmittingelastic film 220, or a different material from the light-transmittingelastic film 220. Since the bufferelastic film 320 is not a portion through which light is directly transmitted, unlike the light-transmittingelastic film 220, the bufferelastic film 320 may be formed of a material having poor light-transmitting performance. Preferably, the bufferelastic film 320 may be formed of a material having an elastic modulus equivalent to that of the light-transmittingelastic film 220, to improve efficiency of theactuator 230. - Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiments as shown, while it has been described that the
actuator 130 is provided at one side of the upper or lower portions of the fluidic chamber, theactuators 130 may respectively be formed at the upper or lower portions of thefluidic chamber 114 as shown inFIG. 34 , so that theactuators 130 may be independently driven. - Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiments as shown, while it has been described that the lens portion includes the lower lens surface and the upper lens surface, the
optical lens surface 118 may be formed on a bottom of the light-transmittingsubstrate 110 to correspond to thelower lens surface 112, so that theoptical lens surface 118 may be arranged on a channel of light which passes through thelower lens surface 112. Theoptical lens surface 118 may have a convex or concave spherical structure. Alternatively, theoptical lens surface 118 may have a non-spherical structure. The optical lens surface may be formed inside the light-transmitting substrate. - As described above, the optical lens and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention have the following advantages.
- Since the structure of the optical lens and its manufacturing process are simplified, the optical lens can be manufactured with miniaturization and thin size, the cost can be reduced, and productivity can be improved.
- In particular, since the optical lens can be manufactured in a wafer-level process, it is advantageous in view of mass production, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced to reduce the cost of the product.
- Furthermore, since the whole height of the product, such as a camera module, for the optical lens is lowered, the product can be manufactured to be small and slim.
- Furthermore, since the actuator is provided through the elastic film having a relatively low elastic modulus, the power consumption is minimized, and the strain of the actuator can be maximized under the same power.
- Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the response time required for focusing.
- Finally, since the fluid can uniformly be dispensed when the hydraulic pressure (or flow) is applied to the fluid, it is possible to prevent reliability and stability from decreasing.
- Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Claims (58)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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KR1020060111723A KR20080043106A (en) | 2006-11-13 | 2006-11-13 | Optical lens and manufacturing method thereof |
KR10-2006-0111723 | 2006-11-13 |
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US11/723,875 Expired - Fee Related US7580195B2 (en) | 2006-11-13 | 2007-03-22 | Optical lens and method of manufacturing the same |
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US (1) | US7580195B2 (en) |
EP (3) | EP2105768B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4823137B2 (en) |
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DE (1) | DE602007009017D1 (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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JP4823137B2 (en) | 2011-11-24 |
EP2270555B1 (en) | 2013-02-13 |
KR20080043106A (en) | 2008-05-16 |
US7580195B2 (en) | 2009-08-25 |
EP1921471B1 (en) | 2010-09-08 |
EP2105768B1 (en) | 2012-05-16 |
EP2105768A3 (en) | 2009-10-28 |
EP2270555A1 (en) | 2011-01-05 |
JP2008122909A (en) | 2008-05-29 |
EP2105768A2 (en) | 2009-09-30 |
EP1921471A1 (en) | 2008-05-14 |
DE602007009017D1 (en) | 2010-10-21 |
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